5 documents found, page 1 of 1
Evolution and genetic architecture of sex-limited polymorphism in cuckoos
Merondun, Justin; Marques, Cristiana I; Andrade, Pedro; Meshcheryagina, Swetlana; Galván, Ismael; Afonso, Sandra; Alves, Joel M; Araújo, Pedro M.Sex-limited polymorphism has evolved in many species including our own. Yet, we lack a detailed understanding of the underlying genetic variation and evolutionary processes at work. The brood parasitic common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a prime example of female-limited color polymorphism, where adult males are monochromatic gray and females exhibit either gray or rufous plumage. This polymorphism has been hypo...
High SLC7A11 expression in normal skin of melanoma patients
Galván, Ismael; Inácio, Ângela; Dañino, María; Corbí-Llopis, Rosa; Monserrat, María T.; Bernabeu-Wittel, JoséBackground: Melanoma is one of the highest metastatic cancers and its incidence is rapidly increasing. A great effort has been devoted to determine gene mutations and expression profiles in melanoma cells, but less attention has been given to the possible influence of melanin synthesis in melanocytes on melanomagenesis. SLC7A11 encodes the cystine/glutamate antiporter xCT and its expression increases the antiox...
Changes in melanocyte RNA and DNA methylation favour pheomelanin synthesis and ...
Rodríguez-Martínez, Sol; Márquez, Rafael; Inácio, Ângela; Galván, IsmaelCysteine plays essential biological roles, but excessive amounts produce cellular oxidative stress. Cysteine metabolism is mainly mediated by the enzymes cysteine dioxygenase and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase, respectively coded by the genes CDO1 and GCLC. Here we test a new hypothesis posing that the synthesis of the pigment pheomelanin also contributes to cysteine homeostasis in melanocytes, where cysteine ca...
Genetic favouring of pheomelanin-based pigmentation limits physiological benefi...
Galván, Ismael; Moraleda, Virginia; Otero, Ignacio; Álvarez, Ernesto; Inácio, ÂngelaPheomelanin contributes to the pigmentation phenotype of animals by producing orange and light brown colours in the integument. However, pheomelanin synthesis in melanocytes requires consumption of glutathione (GSH), the most important intracellular antioxidant. Therefore, a genetic control favouring the production of large amounts of pheomelanin for pigmentation may lead to physiological costs under environmen...
Gyrfalcons Falco rusticolus adjust CTNS expression to food abundance : a possib...
Galván, Ismael; Inácio, Ângela; Nielsen, Ólafur K.Melanins form the basis of animal pigmentation. When the sulphurated form of melanin, termed pheomelanin, is synthesized, the sulfhydryl group of cysteine is incorporated to the pigment structure. This may constrain physiological performance because it consumes the most important intracellular antioxidant (i.e., glutathione, GSH), of which cysteine is a constitutive amino acid. However, this may also help avoid...